Apparatus for regulating dampers



(No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet I. y G. WBSTINGHOUSE, Jr.

Apparatus for Regulating Dampers, 85o. No. 236,520. Patented Jan. 11,1881.

2 sheetsshet 2.

G. WBSTINGHOUSE, Jr. Apparatus for Regulating Dampers, 8vo. No. 236,520.

Patented Jan. 11,1881.

...l' n il UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WEsTINGHoUsE, Je.. '0F Pnrrsune, PENNSYLVANIA.

Aneiunl'rus Foa REeuLATlNe DAMPERS, ete."

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Lettera Patent No. 2 86J520.'da.ted` v l Application led November 24', 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

-Be it known that I, GEORGE WEs'rING- HOUSE, J r., ofPittsburg, countyof Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered a new and useful Improvement in Method of and Apparatus for Regulating Dampers and other like Appliances; and Ir do hereby declare the following to -be a full, clear, concise, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying draw-` ings, in two sheets, making a part of this specification. in which-like letters indicating like parts- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation o'f .the valve, damper, or register regulating devices which I employ; and-Fig. 2 is a top or plan view thereof, and with the expansion pipe or tube added.

My present invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for automatically regulatingl the eective action or operation of heat-generatie g, heat-supplying, or Ventilating apparatus, in which the temperature of the room is to be the guide or gage by which the governing or regulating is to be done, substantially as hereinafter set forth.

In the' accompanying. drawings, Sheet l, A may represent a valve-case, such as is adapted totheproper working of the devices as herein described'. It has, preferably at or near one end, a pipe-connectiomAl, which leads from a hydrant, raised tank, or other suitable head, such as will give the desired operative pressure. and supply.` The chamber a', into which this pipe opens, has ar port, a, leading into a piston-chamber, B, and the area or size of the port-opening is regulated by means ofa tapering plug or other suitable'valve device, such as shown at b, and the adjustment thereof for the purpose of enlarging, lessening, or closing the port-opening may beeected by a handwheel, b', or other suitable means.

The pistonP is made with a cup-leatherA or other suitable packing, z, such as will be operative as against fluid-pressure from below,

^ and either by its long thbelow the packing or by any known form of stop-motion it is prevented from coming down so far as to cover and close the port a, or the port c, which'leads chamber, l), which chamber is separated by a flexible diaphragm, e, (or equivalent packed pistom) from the expansion-chamber D.

.Lengthwise of these-chambers I arrange a plunger, d, and guiding-stem d', and secure the same in proper relationship to the diaphragm e by a collar, e', on 'the plunger, and a nut, e, on the stem thereof, The port c, where it enters the chamber D, is made of valve-seat form, and the adjacentend of the plunger d is shaped to forni a valve, c', toseat therein, and a winged stem playing in the port c provides means for guiding theplunger at that end. A spring, g, is arranged on Athe plunger din such manner' as to lift the valve c from its vseatwhen not heldtoits'seat by a greater force acting i'n the opposite direction, as presently to be described.

From the expansion-chamber Dl one or more ports, s, lead either directly or through an intermediate annular chamber,s', toa pipe, R,

'and by au open port, r, communication is also made with a safety-chamber, *mg This chamber has a tlexible diaphragm-cover,"fm', and room is provided above, by chamber m; for its' necessary range' otmotion. A spring, g', is added to press it down, and a hand-wheel, b2. by which to turn it up.

The pipe R, closed at its outer end, may be of any desired length, and in practical use it isl arranged in such part of a house asmay be desired with reference to its taking and absorbing heat tol such degree that it may be used as a means of indicating the point at which further elevation of temperature is not desired; Preferably it should be made of some material which is sensitive as regards changes of temperature, and it may be so made and arranged ina room as to be both ornamental and useful-as, for example, it may be arranged to represent a molding, either inthe purpose. therefrom. This port c opens into a pressnre-4 The piston P is made with a stem, P', on

It is to be filled with any ICO which is a downwardlyactingspring, p, and

e ceases the end of this stem is to be connected, by an eye, y, or otherwise, directly or by any suitable interposed devices, with the register, damper, or valve, or other device by which either the amount of heat generated or its flow or supply is to be regulated, or with any known like device by which to secure or promote ventilation. Also, the chamber D' has a waste-port, h, through which uid in the chamber may escape; but, preferably, the discharge-point of the port or of the pipe connected therewith should be at or above the level of the lower side of the packing ofthe piston P, so that the'space below such piston shall at all times .be full. z 5 The apparatus is -to be adjusted for use prei'- eably so that at the lowest temperature desired in the room the pipe It, chambers D' and m, and their connecting ports and passages shall be full, and the diaphragm c be under little or no tension, and the valve cz be a little clearl of its seat; also, the plug b should be set so as to let the Huid-pressure through but slowly; also, the spring g' should be made or adjusted p so asto give a greater resistance to compression z 5 than the spring g,- and, still further, when the piston P is c lear down, the register, damper, valve, or other device copnected therewith, should thereby he so set as to give or result in the giving ot' approximately 'the maximum'v 3o amount of heat desired. If, now, the temperature of the roomby the heat supplied should be materially raised, the liquid in the pipe R will be correspondingly expanded thereby, and' such expansion, operating back in the chamber 3 5 D', will shift the diaphragm e to the left, and thereby cause the valve c to close, lor partly close, the port c, and this latter operationv will cause the pressure entering at a to act beneath the piston P, and, by raising it, to close, or partly, close, vor shift the valve, damper, register, or other device, so as correspondingly to lessen the heat-generating or heat-delivery power or capacity of the heating apparatus; and, by a still further connection of like character, the same motion may be employed to open ventilating dues or openings for the admission of cold air. If, after the supply of heat is stopped or reduced sufficiently, the liquid column `in R begins to contract in consequence ot a falling` temperature, then the diaphragme will, by the spring g, be shifted to the right, so as to open the port c, in consequence of which the piston, being relieved wholly or in part of pressure and the valve, register, or damper will-tbe correspondingly vshifted the other way; but to preventthe burstingof the pi peRorthe ru pture of the diaphragm ein case of an over-expan-- v sion of the liquid from summer or other heat, I provide the safety-chamber m and its yielding cover m. While the spring/g gives greater resistance to compression than the spring g, it is to be set so that it will yield before the breakin g-point of R or eis reached.' With this explanation the manner of varying the adj ust- Vments so as to get the best results (so far as beneath, will be forced down by the spring p,

variation may be necessary) will be readily u-nderstood. ,l

It will be within my invention to substitute t compressed air or steam for water asa means 7o for actuating the piston P, and for this -purpose the pipe A' may lead to any suitable reservoir or generator or other source 'of supply.

I do not limit lmyself to precise form, proportions, or arrangements of parts', provided 75 only the substantial and material features of construction and operation befpreserved with reference to the end in view; and I would par ticularly state that the damper, register, or valve connection might be made from the pro- 8o longed outer end of t-he stem d', or from the upper end of the stem p of cover m of the er,- pansion-chamber m; or a separate connection may be run from each to a separate damper, register, or valve, the proper means being added, if necessary, for getting a comparatively long motion from a comparatively short one. Also, in lieu of 4piston P, a flexible ldiaphragm may be employed as the mechanical equivalent thereof. o

One characteristic and radical feature of the present invention consists, in general terms, in the employment of the expansibility of a s'uitable material subject to atmospheric changes, and by virtue ot' such changes capable of 95` changing its shape for the purpose of calling into action some other power or force in such manner as thereby to effect the shifting ota' damper, valve, register, or other device, which latter is adapted to regulate or govern the roo action or operation of heat-generating or heatsupplying or Ventilating apparatus; and for this purpose the pipe-R may be secured at its outer end, and its inner end be affixed diredty-v to the diaphragm, or a wire may be used ingles like manner, (with bell-cranks at the corners'yli s'o that by the expansion and contractionot"" the pipe or wire any desired power may be brought into operatiomso as to give motion to a piston, diaphragm, or equivalent device, and by virtue of such motion actuate a heatgenerating or heat-supplying or ventilating device or apparatus; and as one of the powers to be so employed 1 include electro-galvauic force in addition to hydraulic force and thet'orce of fluids under compression', orexpansihle iiuids.

It'. an electro-magnet is used, the end 'of 'the plunger d, instead' of closing a port, may be arranged to make or break a circuit, and thereby cause an armature of afn electro-magnet to operate the valve, register, or other devcein question. t

I would also state that as regards the diaphragm described as means of receiving and imparting mot-ion a bent tube is a well-known equivalent, illustrations of which will be found in steam-gages; andas illustrative o f a modified structure ot' apparatus by the use of which the described, method of operation may be em- IIO -ployed, Ihave added another sheet of draw'in gs,

wherein Fig..3 is a sectional view of a valvev In the structure thus represented, A` represents the valve-case as before. A' is the pipe communicating with the head or source or reservoir of power, and which opens into the chamber a', from which a port, a, leads to an expansion-chamber, D'.

As regards the port a,the 'plug b and handwheel b' perform the same function as above set forth.

From a port, a, a side port, a, leads to the chamber B, and duid-pressure in this chamber is transmitted, through a stem, P', (pressed down by aspring, 1),) to the heat generating or regulating devices, in like manner as before; but insteadof showing a piston in this chainber B, I have inserted its mechanical equivalent-viz., a tlexible diaphragm, P.I

From the expansion-chamber D' a port or ports, s, lead'to an annular chamber, s', and the latter is in open communication with the pipe R, already described, and, by port r, with the safety-chamberv m.

Other devices, similarly lettered, have substantially the construction and operation already set forth; but in this construction I dispense with those devices ot' Fig. 1 which are interposed between the port a and the diaphragm e, and so arrange the diaphragm e that it may be used as a valve to open and close the end of the port. v

. When, in the manner already described, the diaphragm e is pressed against the end ot' the port a, the duid-pressure, entering from a', is

caused to act beneath the diaphragm 1??, and byraising it effect the desired shifting otthe heat generating or regulating apparatus, and as the fluid or metal column 1t contracts, the pressure in a forces the diaphragm e back, and allows the duid-pressure in B to pass out by the chamber a and waste-pipe h, connected therewith.

The safety-chamber m provides as against rupture or breakage, as already set forth and in the use of this form of apparatus like moditications may be made as are above referred to in connection with Figs. land 2.

Also, in the slimming of my invention in the claims following, I include` a movable piston within the term (liaphragm, and vice versa, each being the mechanical equivalent ot* the other for the purposes enumerated. v

I ain aware that it is not new to actu-ate a damper by variations of pressure caused by greater or less pressure in a steam-boiler, such pressure being transmitted directly from such boiler to the damper by a iiat oi' movable column of mercury; but I ani not aware of any prior apparatus in which the moving power was derived from variations in the temperature of the atmosphere by-which the apparatus itself was surrounded, nor of any in which the variations of pressure socaused operated to bring into" and let out of action another niotive power which, by a positive action, moved or shifted a lient-supplying or ventilating device; and my present invention is liniitcd in accordance with the distinctions thus drawn.

I-claiin'hciein as my invention- 1. A heat-regulanngY apparatus having in combination a pipe,.1t, filled with liquid, :irranged inthe rooin the temperature of which is tobe thegage, such -pipe heilig connected with a chamber closed on one side by a flexible diaphragm, and a pressure-supply port opening either' directly or through an interposed valve oiito the opposite side of said diaphragm, substantially as set forth, whereby, on the greater or less opeiiin g or closing of said duid-pressure-supply port by the movement of the diaphragm, to regulate automatically the application of fluid-pressure to an independent piston, the stem of which is adapted to connect with the regulating device.

2. The combination of a duid-pressure supply, operating through a port, a, on one side ot' a piston having a regulator-connection, and mechanism for openingor closing such port by the expansionand contraction of a column of metal or fluid arranged toA expand and contract under changes of atmospheric temperature,substantially as set forth. Y Y v 3. The combination of a duid-pressure supply, operating through a reduced port, a,.on one side of a piston, l, a port., c, leading to a waste, and a valve, c2, operated in opening and closingsuch port, by the expansion and concaoysaoA v a traction of a vcolumn of metal or uid arranged to expand and contract only under changes of atmospheric temperature, substantially as set forth. Y

4. The combination ot' piston 1,.its fluid IOS IIO

intoand out ot' yoperation another force or power, and cause the latter to act through suitable appliances toV shift the valve,.dumper, register, or other regulator, substantially as set forth.

6. A column or line otinetai, uuid, or other suitable material subject to changes ot' forni from changes of the surrounding atmospheric temperature, in combination wit-h a iexiblc diaphragm, or equivalent piston, and a connectioii from such diaphragm or piston,through which to actuate a valve, daniperpegister, or other regulator, substantially asset forth.

7. In combination with a column of duid acting, by its expansion and contraction under changes of the surrounding atmospheric teniperature, to operate either directly or through other power n. heat-supplying or ventiluting flevicennu expansion or safety chamber havlng a yielding sigle, top, or cover, whereby to 5 provule for excess of expansion over and above what is required for the work to be done, substantially as set forth.

In combination witla a column of fluid acting by its expansion'- and contraction in opxo eratmg a heat-supplying or Ventilating device,

an expansion and safety chamber, m, having .an adjustnbly-movable top, cover, or side,

whereby to regulate the e'ective'expansion of the duid column, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set x my hand.

v GEGRGE yWESTINGHOUlE, JR. Witnesses: t

R. H. WmrcrLEsEY, GEORGE H. CHRISTY. 

